Origins of Hate
by YoungAndRestless
Summary: Ember has found a new mate to help share the burden of being the Alpha of this forest. Anew threat is massing to the south,and she will find that even she and her mate can't handle it on their own. Fighting Team Origin,a group dedicated to Pokemon enslavement,will take everything the forest has, and even the help of an outsider. Lemons in labeled chapters. Originally Pokemon Tales
1. Rookie Mistake

I darted through the trees, tearing up the moist forest floor beneath my paws. I can hear him gaining on me, but escape was never the intention; I was going to win this battle. A crash of snapping brush tells me he's finally caught up to me, but this is his defeat, not mine.

"Gotcha!" The rogue Absol sends a large Shadow Ball at me; I've timed this perfectly. Deftly, I place my paws on an elevated tree root, and launch myself swiftly into the air in a 180 degree spin, flying over the attack and turning to face my opponent. I can see the confusion and frustration cloud his crimson eyes as realization that his ego is about to be shattered.

I release a powerful Flamethrower, catching Absol directly between his eyes. He howls in pain and claws at his muzzle, tears of defeat gathering. I smirk at his shame, landing gracefully across from him, my tails swirling around me. "I believe that signals your exit." He glares at me, and I watch as his claws begin to glow a malevolent purple. Quicker than his Shadow Claw, I Flame Charge and throw him back, his bruised form slamming into a tree. "Leave, now."

As he scurries into the foliage to tend his wounds, I begin to groom my own fur back into slick perfection. My name is Ember, and I never asked for all this. I was born to my parents as both the last of the litter and the smallest. My mother was a Ninetales, like myself, and my father a disconnected Purugly that I hardly remember. However, unlike the rest of my siblings, I wasn't born with the red fur of a traditional Vulpix; I was sheathed with sunshine and bathed in gold. My father was disgusted. "What rotten luck that the runt would be the Shiny one." He stomped off, muttering about my inferiority. Mother licked me just as clean as my other siblings, and whispers into my ear, "Don't you listen to him, he's just jealous of your beauty. Someday, you'll be bigger and stronger and more beautiful than any other pokemon in this entire forest." Wanting to snub my father and impress my mother, I trained harder than any of my other siblings. When I evolved well before my time, my father glared from the shadows. As I took my new form, a pearly white coat, nine elongated tails with ocean dipped tips and mittens on my paws, I watched him slink off into the distance. Mother told me he had left the forest, and wanted to find a new mate for himself. That was four years ago.

Now, a full grown Ninetales with exquisite features and battle knowledge, I've climbed higher than my late mother could have ever hoped for me. Now, I am the Alpha Female of this forest, helping the meek, fighting the negligent, and guarded all the pokemon of the forest. I act alone, as I haven't taken a mate yet, although it is well overdue. I hear the female Sawsbucks muttering and whispering behind my back, the male Ariados' shaking their heads in the canopy above, the Gyrados' chuckling from the lake. But when I turn and look, it's all bows and respect. No one would dare strike up a battle with the most powerful pokemon in the forest without more than gossip as motive. While it is true I haven't taken a mate, it isn't that I don't want one… but I won't take a mate who can't be my equal in battle. I'm a female, not a mother, and I need someone I can share my responsibilities with.

That was the issue I had with the Absol; a stark rookie in his first mating season, he thought he was the first male clever enough to try and take me by surprise. The battle was over in seconds, and I still hadn't found my mate. Although I took pleasure in victory and caring for my fellow pokemon, it would be ecstasy to find someone that could prove their worth to me. As I trot the perimeter of the forest, along the route that I see many young trainers take, I wonder if there is anyone in this forest who can be my equal, and not a submissive pup.


	2. Aroma

Mating season has set in, and this is by far my most stressful part of the year. Along with my other duties, I must also watch my back for males trying to jump me. However, I've found this past season that I haven't had as many potential suitors as usual. The males in this forest have grown respectfully exhausted of challenging me, and have found younger, easier partners. Even my den mates, my brothers and sisters, have all at least weaned a litter or two. But I am alone.

I want a mate desperately, even if I don't allow it to show. While my heat stinks of sweet hormones and permeates the rest of the forest like any other pokemon, I've trained myself not to act any different, although my body is screaming for sex. As Alpha, I need to keep my composed, regal form. The females and males of the forest respectfully sniff the scent wafting off of me, but very few take the initiative to court me.

I cut through the forest and begin to trail the stream, sniffing the water's edge to see if any humans have been through here. If so, my responsibility is to warn all the other pokemon of their presence. Those who wish to stay in the forest go into hiding, and those wiggling for a trainer companion remain about.

As I open my muzzle to analyze the scent deeper, I glance a shape to my right. Royally, I lift my head, nearly choking with excitement when I see who it is. "Good afternoon, Sergio," I call calmly. The mature Manectric nods his head with a polite smile. He pads towards me, then lowers himself slightly to the ground, licking my muzzle in submissive greeting. Not all pokemon greet me this way; only the other alpha species and evolutions, those who I could see as a threat and try to steal my position. "What brings you to the river? Not looking for some Feebas to taunt, are you?" He snuffs at my comment, sitting next to me.

"Hardly! I was a kid, Ember, I liked to show off a bit. I'm not a kid anymore. I actually came looking for you." After glancing at him curiously, his slightly opens his mouth and inhales. Tasting the air. "I see your still in heat." I nod my head, turning my gaze back to the rushing water. Being in heat was nothing to be ashamed of. It was natural, a part of the changing seasons. "Have you selected a mate this season?" I roll my eyes at him. "Heh, I'll take that as a no." After a few moments of compatible silence, he nips my front paw.

"Serge, what do you think you're doing?" I rise to my paws, my nine tails weaving around me. Although Sergio and I have known one another a long time, treating an Alpha to such direct aggression could be taken as—

"A challenge." With a lopsided smile, he flanks to my right, placing the river at my back and himself in front of the tree line. "I've been training for a long time, Ember. I think I'm ready to offer my proposal." I smile ruefully, pretending to not take his challenge seriously. I begin grooming myself, first my paws and tail, then slowly working down to between my hind legs. I hear Sergio groan as my scent intensifies in the air, filling his nostrils with my sex.

Suddenly, he launches himself towards me, a Thunder Fang crackling in his maw. I dart out of the way, laughing teasingly, keeping just out of reach. I smell his growing desire, his inflaming hormones coat the air and my mind with his scent. "You have no idea how long I've waited to be strong enough to give you a real battle," Sergio growls, a new lustful hunger in his eyes. Baring my fangs in a threatening position, I watch his muscles for any signs of another attack.

"Just because I've known you all my life, doesn't mean I will go easy on you." I toss a Will-O-Wisp towards him, letting him know I will accept the challenge. He smiles confidently at me.

"Good. I've been training for the past two years, I wouldn't want to win you as mine unfairly." A tingle runs up my spine, a needful growl for him brews in my throat. I let it grow loud enough for him to hear, letting him know that I am both rearing for battle, and for the chance that I might be his. With a swirl of my tails, I launch myself above Sergio, and speed down in a Flame Charge that he easily dodges. " _If_ you can prove yourself worthy," I call after him.


	3. Kings and Queens (Lemon chapter)

The following battle that ensues is fast pace, complex. A dance of aggression and desire. Although I would love to call him my mate, I by no means intends to take it easy on him; just like all the others, he has to prove his worth to me.

Sergio's Thunderbolt slams into my chest, knocking me back several feet. I send a Confuse Ray, followed quickly by a Fire Spin. Disoriented by the Confuse Ray and swirling vortex of flame, Sergio stumbles into the fire, searing his skin. Leaping out of the trap, Sergio sends a Thunder Wave. I can't jump in time. It catches me, leaving me paralyzed and slow. I open my jaws, preparing a Flamethrower, when he rushes at me in a Quick Attack. I stumble back but keep my footing.

The silence that follows is tense; both of us are frozen, too exhausted to fight anymore. As his burns take their toll, my vision blurs. Without my permission, my front legs buckle and I fall to the ground. I hear him collapse in front of me immediately after. We rest awhile, waiting for our energy to return.

A couple of Pidgeys landed on a branch a few, respectful yards away. They want to see who won. After several longer moments, the two of us rise to our paws. I gingerly walk over to Sergio, and stand tall in front of him. We stare at each other before I gently place my forehead against his, saying "I accept you as mine." A shocked gasp and a flurry of wings from the Pidgeys above.

"The Alpha has taken a mate, the Alpha has taken a mate," they thrill as the fly across the forest, spreading the news. Their voices grow dimmer as they quickly fly away, chanting the phrases. Sergio licks my muzzle lovingly and asks how I'm feeling.

"Honestly, exhausted." He trots away wordlessly, quickly returning with several sitrus berries for us to share. After gorging on the fruits, we both feel much more lively and excited. As my pain ebbs away, I become acutely aware of his body. His muscles, his eyes, his erotic scent. As our health improves, the scent of my heat perfumes the air, as well as his yearning. He wearily approaches me, licking my muzzle questioningly. When I respond with my own licks of desire, he abandons his gentlemanly ways and gives into his instincts.

He trots around behind me, and places his nose by my sex, inhaling deeply. As I watch, his tongue quickly darts out of his mouth, licking my slit. A shiver runs up my body, and my tails all stand on end. A small whimper escapes my throat. He glances up at me, smirking teasingly. His tongue darts out again, moistening my vagina, making me moan. I squeeze my eyes tight, and focus on keeping my breathing even. He continues licking me, burying his nose against my fur.

The air is so thick with my heat, it's like breathing in a haze. I open my eyes and look back at him' his enlarged member twitching impatiently. The sight of his unsheathed penis causes me to lose control; my breathing comes out in sporadic gasps, and my paws begin to tremble. A small, high pitched moan wiggles out of my mouth. "Ugh….Ember…"

Sergio lifts his head and mounts me, slowly easing his dick into my tight cunny. I feel myself being split in two, being filled with his body. He's so much bigger than I expected, I gasp in pain. As he slowly gyrates his hips, pumping fully but slowly into me, the pain melts away into pleasure. The slick sounds of his balls slapping against my ass taps in time to his short breaths. As my whimpers turn to moans, he begins to hump me faster, slamming himself deeper. My front paws give way, and I fall face first into the dirt, Sergio pounding me from behind. He moans my name, working his hips faster as I wrap my tails around him, pulling him deeper inside of my pussy.

"Sergio," I gasp. He pulls out momentarily, but before I can protest, his tongue is between my legs, licking my clit, causing me to swallow my words. He remounts me with lightening speed, shoving his way back into my vagina. I scream into the dirt, my chest pushing a small indent into the earth as he works me harder. The scent of our sex fills the air, along with our grunts.

A small fire is building in the very deepest part of my cunt. My moans become higher pitched and rapid. As the pressure builds, I begin to shake my head, unable to contain it. "Ugggg—fuck, Ember I'm going to cum, Ember I can't…" His orgasm spurts into me, filling me with his semen, as I myself go blind in my own ecstasy. My whole body becomes rigid in pleasure, as the fire zooms from my pussy to the tips of my toes. I curl them, digging furrows into the earth as I scream with surprise. The powerful Manectric's claws sink into my fur as he pounds rapidly, his loud moans right beside my ears.

As our orgasms pass slowly, I feel dizzy with the sudden ability to breathe again. Sergio's penis slowly slips out of me, a small string of cum stretching between the head of his penis and my cunny. My hips sink to the ground as he plods slowly around to my muzzle, before collapsing next to me. We breathe in one another's presence, catching our breath. After a while, he licks my muzzle and rubs his face against my own. I groom his messy mane into place, then slowly gain my footing.

"Come," I command gently. "The forest will wish to welcome you as an Alpha." He stands shakily as I lead the way to my den. After a few lopsided and crooked steps, I regain my noble trot, my tails held elegantly behind me as I ignore the painfully pleasurable pangs from my soaked sex. He walks alongside me, not in front or behind, but as an equal, humming happily beside me. Both of our needs have been sated… for now.

As we approach my burrow, we see a large crowd of pokemon awaiting us. They split wordlessly, allowing us to cut a path untouched to the mouth of my den. As Sergio and I stand facing the crowd in front of my, our, home, the eerie silence deepens.

After slowly assessing the crowd in front of me, I raise my head to the sky. A piercing, proud howl fills the air. The pokemon around us burst into uproarious noise, howling, barking, squeaking and chirping in welcome. In the very front of the crowd, a baby Sentret and Igglytuff chase each in a small circle, giggling and cheering alongside their parents.

Finally, the last to join the cries, Sergio lifts his own muzzle and bellows a deep, powerful howl, accepting his role and Alpha, protector and leader of the forest. We stand there, proud and strong, singing with the other pokemon, and welcoming a new chapter in the forest.


	4. Protector

**Now the stage is set! Let's get into the thicket! Ember finds that the scuffles and usual bickering in the forest is nothing but a speck of trouble compared to the growing threat of a new organization: Team Origin.**

Sunlight filtered in through the cave, splaying playfully across my eyelids. I awoke slowly, groggily, and rolled onto my side, trying to ignore the twitter of the Flying type Pokemon in the canopy outside our cave. Sergio slept deeply, his side pressed comfortably against mine, his breath pulling in and out calmly.

Grumpily, I knew it was time to start the day, and I rose clumsily to my feet. I licked Sergio's mane lightly, whispering for him to wake up. It was early, but the job of the Alpha doesn't wait for rest. We padded to the mouth of the cave, and found a trio of Spearow's hopping around, pecking at one another playfully. At our arrival, they bowed quickly, and then flittered off to play elsewhere.

Giving my new mate one final nudge of affection, I trotted off, heading for the deeper section of the forest, further from where most Trainers ever hiked, while he started at the river, taking on his new responsibilities with gusto. I patrolled the shadows, the early morning dew soaking my paws as I dashed through the sections. I ensured that peace was being kept… well, to the best extent you can in such a wild land. Part of the appeal in staying wild was the ability to decide our own fates; my responsibilities were to help maintain the hierarchy of the forest, and prevent any crimes too heinous from occurring. More often than not, should two Pokemon not see eye to eye, a battle to establish dominance between the two solves a problem without the Alpha's interference.

As everything seemed calm and peaceful in the early morning heart of the forest, I turned and headed for the mountains from whence the river flowed. As the soft padding of dead, moist leaves under my paws changed to stony, sharp pebbles, I traveled from the thick shade of the forest to the sparsely trimmed foothills of the mountains. Several Geodudes were about already, shoveling rocks to and fro to suite their nesting needs. I nodded respectfully to their bows.

I chatted quietly with one of the mothers, inquiring about the Rock types' lives.

"I promise, we have plenty of food," she smiled, gesturing to her twins, who were already rolling down the cliff side to find berries and stones to munch on.

"And you wouldn't hesitate to tell me should this change, would you, Diamond?" She shook her rock-like body with a grin.

"Geodudes are a stubborn lot, myself included, but we know better than to try and do it all on our own, Ember. While the last Alpha didn't share the idea of co existence and co prosperity, we can see the improved conditions of communication easily enough." She levitated a little higher, stroking my mane maternally. "I heard Sergio is the new male Alpha though." She smirked.

"Yes, I decided it was time to find someone who could help share the responsibilities." When I first became Alpha, many whispered about how friendly I was; many of my predecessors ruled with an iron fist and cold shoulder. I, however, felt that connecting with my people, knowing their problems personally, would improve all of our lives. Although I maintain an aura of regality and luster, I know that to keep the forest's support and respect, I must be its greatest servant; I rule from the ground among them, and maintain the status of the throne above.

"That's so wonderful, dear!" Diamond crossed her muscular arms and nodded approvingly. " I always say, us women are strong enough to hold the mountains up alone, but sometimes it's nice to have someone as your rock to keep you grounded. That Sergio's a fine Manectric, and I'm sure the children will loo-" The ground rumbling roar shook the earth beneath my paws.

My ears pricked to the southwest, down by the river. My tails immediately began to swirl threateningly around me. Diamond's children were beginning to wail at the base of the mountain.

" Dear Arceus, what was-"

"Get the children inside the mountain," I commanded. All the warmth and companionship left my voice and was replaced by the weight of the Alpha's command; to disobey was the challenge my position. I was no longer the gentle spoken provider of the people; I was a blazon warrior, and whoever dared to hurt the inhabitants of my land was going to feel my wrath.

Diamond called, and a Onix from the mountain's side Dug below, tunneled beneath us, shaking the entire mountain, and emerged surrounding her twins, serving as a living rock wall between them and the forest's edge. As the Onix began herding the children back up the mountain and closer to the safety of the caves, Diamond bowed at my speedy departure, panic in her eyes.

"Be careful!" She called as I raced recklessly down the cliff face. I tore through the trees and found the river, then raced downstream alongside it. A Goldeen, hurdling upstream, broke the water's surface.

"Alpha!" He cried. I didn't stop running, I only glanced back as he shouted after me, "Brenton is caught in some human trap! He's a few more minutes downstream from here!" As I nodded understanding and turned back to a full tilt hurdle, he cried, "Hurry! Some humans are hurting him!"

I sped down the river, my heart racing and the breath gasping as I listened intently for something, anything, to tell me where the Goldeen had directly me. The sharp sound of claws scraping together and rapid splashing caught my attention further downstream. Brenton, a young Ursaring, was ankle deep in the river; a metal trap, which must have been hidden under the riverbank's mud, clamped ferociously onto his hind paw. His blood flowed freely downstream. The trap, most likely meant to catch a small Remoraid or other primary evolution Water type, caught something much larger, and was now sawing into Brenton's flesh.

"Skarmory, Steel Wing," commanded the Trainer in a black jumpsuit. As the Steel type bird dove in attack, Brenton cried out and countered with a Slash. The Skarmory bounced back in recoil, but Brenton roared as the movement twisted his ankle, carving deeper into his muscle.

A pink shadow darted towards Brenton's turned back. "Gorebyss, Aqua Tail!" The South Sea Pokemon slammed its attack directly into Brenton's bleeding wound, causing him to scream in pain. He toppled over, unable to battle the odds. TheTrainer of the Gorebyss laughed belittlingly. "Gorebyss, finish it, Body Slam!"

Circling back from its previous attack, the Gorebyss began to charge the Ursaring again, lauching above him, but by this time, I was on top of them.

"What in the hell is that!?" Cried the Skarmory's Trainer as my Payback attack slammed into the Gorebyss, sending it flying onto the muddy riverbank and out of the water. I rounded quickly, before the Skarmory could react, and engulfed it with a Flamethrower. Its metallic screech filled the air as it soared high above my range.

I stood between the attackers and Brenton, my paws spread wide in a defensive stance, my tails swirling like a threatening vortex around me, my muzzle baring my knife-like fangs. The sheer brutality and injustice of this assault enraged me. Quickly I glanced at Brenton's paw; the blood wasn't coagulating, the river was sucking it out of his ankle. He whimpered weakly, tugging his leg, and only digging the trap deeper in the process.

"This isn't the way to capture Pokemon! The battle is suppose to be fair, tell your Trainer's to stop this madness," I growled. The Skarmory, now landed next to his male Trainer, lowered his head and raised his iron wings in a threatening pose.

"Who the hell are you, fox?" He screeched, his burnt metal body fueling his rage. "Who said anything about capture?" The Gorebyss, slow to recover, coiled like a snake in the mud. His eyes narrowed.

"This Ursaring brute would be lucky to be capture by Team Origin. Try _enslavement_." I glowered at the Gorebyss as its female owner appraised me, confused by his statement, but unwillingly to show my confusion.

"Huh. That's a beautiful Ninetales . Maybe Castor would like a new pet." She glanced at her male counterpart, who smirked, and nodded in agreement. He dropped the tiny, intricately woven marbles in his hand and unhooked a Pokemon ball from his waist. I scoffed, a small flame breathing out of my maw.

"You're joking, right?" I snickered at the capsule, my tails swirling faster and more agitated around me. I roared as loud as I could, the trees shaking with my power and the Butterfree in roost taking flight with panicked twitters. The man took an unsure step backwards. The woman rolled her eyes, and threw out her hand.

"Gorebyss, Water Gun!" As the jet shot towards me, I gritted my teeth and prepared for impact with a Light Screen; if I moved, Brenton would suffer even more. The Water Gun smashed into me, barely blunted by my defense. I gasped with pain, my type disadvantage becoming apparent.

"You want a fight? You got it!" I Doubled Teamed around Brenton, forming a circle with my duplicates around him. The Gorebyss hissed with anger and confusion, Water Gunning my copies, trying to destroy them all and find me. I rushed with a Quick Attack, slamming it further up the bank and away from its medium of transport before quickly rushing with a Flame Charge to beat off the Skarmory, who had seen the opening to try and beat Brenton further. His screech pierced my ears, smoke wafting off of his body.

"Skarmory, get Gorebyss back to the river," commanded the male Trainer. Swooping down, it snatched the Gorebyss out of its sticky trap and began flapping towards the river. I shot an Incinerate attack at the duo, hoping to knock them both from the sky, but the returned Water Pulse canceled out the attempt. Skarmory released, sending the Gorebyss splashing back into the river. Both rounded on me, their eyes flashing menacingly.

"Hydro Pump!"

"Air Slash!" I lock my knees, acting as a barrier between the projectiles and my charge, and threw up another Light Screen. The Hydro Pump shattered through, boring into my chest. I gasp in pain, and then focus on the Skarmory. I attack with Overheat , a wailing wall of fire racing towards the Steel type. A deafening roar fills my ears as an aqua wall rises defensively in front of Skarmory, extinguishing my Overheat. Gorebyss appears at the topmost crest of the wave, and simultaneously, wave and Pokemon rush towards me in a Surf attack.

My knees give way beneath me as the wave passes over me, draining the fiery need to fight out of my limbs. As I shakily try to rise again, I'm slammed in the side by a Steel Wing, knocking me completely off my feet and to the side, away from Brenton, leaving me wasted on my side. Something lightly taps against my back haunch, followed by a bright, red light and high pitched sound; suddenly, I'm surrounded by a cold, oppressive darkness.


	5. Teamwork

**What! Not a single comment, critique, or suggestion!? Come on, Feedback! Suggest characters, plot twists, anything! Goodness!**

My breath came out in quick, panicky gasps as I flipped and twisted in the darkness, trying to allocate my bearings. Flailing, I screamed in frustration, blindly lashing out, trying to find the…

There. Barely visible, far away, a speck of white light. I crawl towards it, kicking and scraping along. I strain with my nose, my tails, anything, everything. Oh Arceus, please no, get me out of here. I wasn't meant to be some pet, please, Arceus, let me out!

My nose lightly touches the speck of light. With a popping noise, I break through the Pokeball's seal .It ejects me in a white waterfall, And as my physical form solidifies, I bat the useless metal capsule weakly at the man, a defiant growl rippling in my throat.

His cocky face slackens, and his Skarmory hisses in surprise. The Trainer's surprise morphs into rage, and he gropes one of the black, woven marbles off of the ground. He hurls it at me, and I bathe it in a Flamethrower, unsure of its purpose. As it nears me, It warps and expands in the air, squealing, forming a - - collar. It hustles through my attack, unaffected. I dive out of the way in the nick of time, and hear the whirring noise of the black coils shrinking back down to its oran berry size.

I land clumsily, exhausted, and turn to face the man, preparing for another black collar to be sent towards me. I screech as a Hydro Pump to my back sends me flying foreword and onto my face. I struggled to my feet, wobble, and collapse. I try again, lifting my head. Something extremely heavy pushes down on the back of my neck, pinning me to the ground. I glare up at the Skarmory, who was holding me down with his hefty claw, preventing my escape.

A blue body zooms over me, crackling with electrical malice, and slams into the Skarmory, sending him reeling. Sergio stands protectively above me, shooting Thunderbolt's not only at the Skarmory and Gorebyss, but at their Trainer's as well.

"Sleep now, my love," he whispers gently. "I shall protect you." Relief washes over me, and I let the darkness overtake me, using Rest. I hear the battle raging above me, around me, below me, the screams of effort and pain suddenly unimportant. I doze deeply, restoring my energy.

My eyes snap open, and my tails begin to swirl with newfound energy and hatred. As I raise proudly to my feet, I find myself in perfect condition; Sergio hadn't allowed anything to harm me as I Rested. Together, the two of us, both new and refreshed to the battle, glared down towards the dangerous duo, who looked suddenly very meek. The Skarmory had red, angry burns across the majority of its metal body, and the Gorebyss' pink body looked mostly purple, as bruises layered on top of each other. With a bark of anger, I lit the Skarmory up with a Fire Spin, and Sergio fried the Gorebyss with a searing Thunder. As our refreshed bodies gave off powerful force, the type advantage we had over our two foes became blatantly apparent, as the Skarmory plummeted into the earth, leaving a small crater, and the Gorebyss floated to the river's surface, both of their eyes crossed out in exhaustion as they fainted. Both were surrounded by a red light, and reabsorbed into their Pokeballs.

Our attention turned to the Trainer's, who were spitting with rage. Finally, the girl, most likely the senior Trainer, turned to her companion. "Come on, we've got one already, let's go," she grunted. The man stoops and grabs the marbles off the ground. With that, the two turn tail and run through the thicket. The man fingered a device on his wrist, and a sudden shriek from the shadows drew our gaze.

A large female Luxray runs after the two obediently, tears of frustration freely flowing. A black, woven collar is clasped around her throat. The trio disappears into the flora. Sergio lurches after them with a growl.

"Sergio, no!" I cry, and reluctantly, he gives up the chase. I scan the canopy, my eyes finding an unfamiliar Noctowl perched a ways off. "You, Noctowl!" It's head snapped towards my address. "Follow those Trainer's! Don't lose them, and don't be discovered." It took wing immediately, soaring up high, soon becoming but a speck in the heavens.

Sergio turns his attention back to Brenton, long fainted from his wounds. He examines the wound, which is bleeding profusely. His muzzle turns to the air, sniffing loudly. He trots around, sniffing, searching, until he finds what he's seeking. His eyes widen, and his nose twitches as he inhales deeper. He turns to me, his eyes grim, his nose having found the hunted scent.

"Watch him, I'll be back," he says before tearing into the forest. I lay down next to Brenton, feeling empty. I failed at protecting him… I failed at protecting the forest. A sudden snapping of twigs and the beating of wings jolted me to my paws, my hackles raising instantly.

An Emolga glides into view, a small Shinx following uncoordinatedly. Both are running in the direction the two humans and Luxray had fled. I lower my hackles and hide my fangs, calling "Halt!" Both freeze, the Emolga landing on a low branch. Both bow low, and I notice that the Shinx is shaking violently.

"Greetings, Alpha," sputters the Emolga as I approach slowly and proudly. Clearly he was higher ranking than the Shinx, so I turned my attention to him.

"Rise." Both straighten from their bows, and I see the Shinx is weeping openly. The poor thing, she was barely a kitten! Without showing the pity I feel, I turn to the Emolga, my cold stare commanding his cooperation. "Who are you, where do you travel, and why?" The Emolga's eyes nervously dart to the general area the crooks had disappeared into.

"I am Ziltch, and this here is my daughter, Currant." Currant whimpers weakly as my frozen glare glides to her. I offer a small, lukewarm smile to her, and although she doesn't completely relax, her small tail comes out from between her hind legs. "We were chasing my mate, Currant's mother. She…" His eyes glazed over, and he cleared his throat. "She was taken from us." I nodded my head understandingly; although I do my best to warn the forest's inhabitants as to when a Trainer was lurking about, often, Pokemon who don't wish to be captured can't hide in time, and are caught in the open. They are forced to battle. More often than not, these unfortunate ones are captured, and families were torn apart.

"She was captured."

"No." Ziltch shook his head firmly. "She was taken. They came upon us, and they didn't even bother to battle her! They just threw a small black pebble at us. We didn't know what it was! I yanked Currant out of the way, and Ultra tried to zap it but…It just kept coming through her Thunderbolt." His small paws fisted in anger. "When it got close, it grew, and wrapped around her throat. Her eyes went all wide, and when I asked her what was wrong, she looked at me, but… she just stared at me. She looked so confused and angry and, and… She just left with them. I called for her, but she didn't even look back." Currant's sobs grew louder.

I looked down on the babe, and felt true remorse for one so young. I gently laid myself next to her, curling my body around her protectively. At first, she tensed apprehensively, but as I cooed at her caringly, my regal authority temporarily removed, she collapsed against me, seeking protection. She sobbed against me, her despair shaking her entire body. Suddenly, she Sparked, the attack doing only slight damage. I saw Ziltch above us jump in fright, afraid I would hurt his daughter for the attack, but I knew she wasn't being aggressive. She was just so distraught, she couldn't control her energy anymore. The two of us lay there together, me holding her tight as her sobs and electricity flowed freely. As she began to calm down, Sergio came trotting from the tree line. With a final fond licking, I rose to my feet.

Following Sergio is a Chimecho. Sergio approached Brenton, still motionless in the river's shallows. Sergio grunted at his damaged leg, and a shimmering pink haze emitted from the Chimecho. It's Healing Pulse caresses Brenton's injured ankle. Sergio and I took opposite sides of the trap, waiting, as Ziltch and his child came over and watched. When I thought the bleeding was slow enough, the two of us grasped opposite side of the trap, forcing it open. Brenton's leg began to bleed a little quicker, but as Ziltch shoved his foot out of harm's way, and the Chimecho's Heal pulse continued, the bleeding slowed, and eventually stopped.

I thanked the Chimecho as it floated away dreamily, it's duty fulfilled. Brenton's shallow breaths deepened, and he even yawned. Sergio smiled relieved, saying that all he needed now was rest. I agreed, and we both decided to spend the day, and night if necessary, with Brenton, until he awoke. Sergio took his turn to interrogate Ziltch as I played Currant, trying to distract her. Once I'd removed my oppressive, power fraught cloak of dominance, Currant grew attached to me. No longer was I a scary, all powerful Alpha, I was just a strangely colored friend. She often asked why I wasn't yellow like the other Ninetales, and I simply replied each time that it was a mark of birth. The three of us spent the day by the river, playing and entertaining the child and keeping a watchful eye over the seemingly hibernating bear.

As Currant began to tucker out, and Sergio laid her down for the evening, I took Ziltch aside. "I won't lie to you: I have no idea what's going on here, or why these people came here, or what their new device is. But I will make you a promise." I lower my head so that my eyes were equal in height with the rather short Sky Squirrel Pokemon. This wasn't an Alpha telling a lesser Pokemon a possible action; it was one Pokemon promising the other Pokemon: "I will find Currant's mother." Ziltch thanked me, relief washing over his face. With a quick goodnight, he glided over to his daughter, who was sleeping quietly. He clamored on top of her head, then curled up upon her, stroking her fur protectively.

Sergio padded slowly up to me. He approached with his head lowered and submissive as he licked my muzzle. As we switched positions and I greeted him submissively, I sighed with yearning. Although we had been in proximity for the majority of the day, we hadn't had much time to spend together. We nuzzled each other as we settled down for the night close to Brenton's slumbering mass, curling our bodies around one another.

"So, what are we going to do, love?" Sergio asked, grooming my mane. I sigh heavily, resting my head against his chest.

"I don't know, dearest, I really don't. We have no idea what we are facing here. Some new… controlling mechanism has been created by the humans. Unlike the Pokeballs, we can't fight and struggle against it. It's all powerful." I closed my eyes, frustrated at the day's event.

"I don't know what we are fighting," his low voice rumbled, "but I do know that with a mate as strong and crafty as you, the two of us can protect this forest, and all of its inhabitants, from this new entity." I licked his cheek lovingly, but as I fell asleep, I grew worried and unsure.


	6. Maggot Food Grows

**Holla at kyled91doc for giving me my first review! Thanks for the feedback! I almost have a thousand views on this story, can I PLEASE hear from you guys more? I type for myself, but I post and publish the stories for you! So let me know how I'm doing.**

 **Up until this point, we've followed Ember through the forest, but now, for a switch in point of view, to help familiarize ourselves with this new enemy: Team Origin.**

 _Stay put, Stay put, Stay put, Stay put…_

As I folded my thin legs beneath me and gave my feathers a final pruning for the evening, the ever present whispered commands of my Master stroke my consciousness perversely. I tuck my head beneath my wing, closing my eyes and trying to shut out the voices in my head. I was enslaved by Master several months ago. I had been tweaking my nest around my egg, my first child, when the black band wrapped around my leg. My mind, my personal thoughts and dreams and desires, was invaded by a seductive, quiet voice. _Come, Come, Come, Come,_ it commanded. As my body obeyed without question, my mind screeched in anguished protest, as I became a prisoner to this alien force inside me. The man who enslaved me, who I now call Master, didn't bother to even glance at me after I was his. I wasn't worth the scum on the bottom of his shoe, I was but a means to serve his desires. I didn't even get to look back at my egg. My baby… he or she must have long ago been destroyed.

I try not to think of my life before enslavement. It's pointless to dream and hope for something out of reach. When I feel the need to cry and mourn my lost mate, my lost hatchling, my last life, I numb the pain by listening to my captor's commands. _Stay put, Stay put, Stay put…_ a demeaning lullaby. My baby will never hear my lullabies…

As I drift closer to sleep, the sound of near silent feathers tugs at my attention. Hush, not now, no, not now, I don't want be awake, I don't want to live this nightmare anymore. Sleep, time to sleep, where I can dream, and see my unborn child's face… The sound of footsteps approaching me draws me closer to consciousness, and I scuttle away, trying to escape reality.

"Psst." I wail and sob in my mind, mourning for my mate… does he even still look for me? Did he ever search for me in the first place? "Psssst!" I continue to ignore this trespasser, who do they think they are, trying to make me live like a robot? I'm not a machine, I'm not a tool, I'm living, I have feelings and emotions and these emotions are killing me, why would they take me away, what did I do to deserve this? "You, Swanna!"

I bury my emotions. I kick them to the back of my mind, box them away with the cold numbness that is my daily life, and burn them, leaving nothing but cold ashes. I open my eyes. A Noctowl stands in front of me, his head tilted at an extreme angle as he appraises me.

"You're Master is in the center of the camp. Listen to your Collar's commands, it will direct you." I close my eyes again.

"I was sent here by my Alpha," he whispers. "I have no Master." My eyes open slowly, and I reanalyze his form. Nowhere on him, not around his ankle, his neck, the horns on his head or the joint of his wings, is there a Collar. "Free," I whisper incredulously. He blinked stupidly.

"If you mean I am Wild, then yes, I am." I shook my head; he didn't understand. "I came to track a female Luxray," he continued. "She was attacked by a couple Trainer's, and was taken from her family. I followed them all day, and they led me here, but…as you said, it looks like all the Trainer's are in the center of this…camp. I can't gain any more information without possibly being seen."

"Do not confuse those humans with Trainers," I spit. "While some of them do Capture Pokemon and train them, most of them Enslave us. To Capture means to care enough to try and train a Pokemon, to make them reach their full potential… these… _beasts,_ couldn't care what happens to us. We are just a tool." The Noctowl tilts its head again.

"Will you help me?" After a silence, he adds, "I can help you." _No one can help us,_ I think bitterly.

"I was not mistaken when I called you Free. There are Free Pokemon, such as you, and there are Enslaved Pokemon, like myself. Any Pokemon without a Collar is Free. There are also Wild Pokemon, and those who are Captured. See that Buizel, over there? You can be any combination of Free and Enslaved, along with Captured and Wild. She is both Captured and Enslaved. She had a Trainer before she was Collared. Now, her status as a Captured Pokemon means nothing. I, myself, am Wild and Enslaved."

"They call themselves Team Origin. They are fanatics, believing some ridiculous myth about how in the beginning, Pokemon were created with the sole purpose of serving man. However, Arceus, may he be watching us, took pity on us, and gave us our minds. With our new found ability to think, we began to wander off, and live alone in the wild, not serving any human. Hardships fell on humankind as they found they now had to build their own fires, irrigate their own crops, guard their own houses. They blame Pokemon for every issue and disaster to have befallen the human race since documentation of history began. They want to return to the beginning, to the Origin, of this world. They think by forcing us to serve them mindlessly again, they will finally achieve their utopia once more."

"They have some new device… like the one around my foot. Their Collars. Your only hope is to not let one touch you. No attacks will affect them, so don't even try to fight, just run. Unlike Trainers, who use Pokeballs to Capture Pokemon, and raise them, Masters use Collars to Enslave. When a Pokemon is absorbed by a Pokeball, it is given a chance to fight, a chance to gain its freedom again. These Collars don't allow any such thing. Once you have one around you, there is no fighting; you're very mind is their slave. It doesn't matter if you are Wild or Captured; the Collar will Enslave you, and you will no longer be Free able to make your own decisions."

"If that's so, how can you be telling me all this?" The Noctowl looked incredulous, doubting my story.

"Trainers can only have six Pokemon with them at a time, yes?" He nodded. "A Master has no limit to the number of slaves he can control at a time." His feather's bristled, his large eyes narrowing. "A single Master can command an army of Pokemon. Their power is immense. My guess is that it hasn't occurred to any of the humans that they might have opposition, and therefore, have never given the command for us to remain silent about this. Who would the Slaves tell ifthere wasn't anyone to tell things too? If there was a command, I wouldn't be able to talk to you, even if I wanted; the commands are absolute."

"What you have stumbled upon here is one of the smaller sectors of Team Origin." The Noctowl scoffed, looking around; there were hundreds of Pokemon in this clearing, all packed tightly together around the small nucleus of humans in the center, protected by the layers of potential collateral. They slept easy, knowing that their army would willingly throw itself into death's path without a second thought. "Much larger factions, to the South, are massing as well. Even if you succeed in cleansing this area of their influence for now, you can't hold your ground. You cannot fight this. You must run. They will come."

His head snapped to me. "Wait, you said, "even if we succeed." That means there is a way of defeating this…army. How?" I sighed; his hope was so naïve.

"Should you destroy the wristband of a Master, all of its Slaves will be freed. But, like the Collars, they are unaffected by attacks."

"Well, how do we destroy them?"

"Only a human can, there's some sort of disabling code, but I've only ever seen a human successfully unscramble it." The Noctowl nodded, thoughtful. After a brief break in conversation, he refocused on me.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Grace."

"Grace. I am Legion. Come away with me, we can get away from this." I tuck my head beneath my wing again, closing my eyes.

"My Collar is telling me my Master wishes for me to stay here." After a silence, he asked to see where my collar was. I stuck out my leg without opening my eyes. I could hear him Pecking and Air Slashing the black band, but as I knew, nothing worked.

I was already halfway asleep again, already halfway to the sweet haven of unconsciousness, when I heard Legion say, "I'll come back and help you, Grace. You will be Free again." His quiet takeoff shortly followed, and as I fell into a deeper sleep, I fought to erase him and the conversation from my mind. Remembering him, and all his nonsense about fighting back, would spawn hope inside me. And hope was just maggot food in slavery.


	7. Sacrifices of War

**So I was at a total loss when I published this story, and kinda just spat out a name for it so I could publish it. So, now that the story is taking a little more shape, I'll be renaming it! However, I'll put the old title, "Pokémon Tales," in the description, so you can still find it if you search for it with the old title. Also, my apologies for my inactivity on this story. I'm finding it hard to be inspired to finish it, even though I already have it all planned out! But, here is my author's sweare: I will never leave a story unfinished…even if it means it takes a while. Thanks for the patience!**

"Thank you, Legion, for all that you have done, for both the forest, and us," Sergio nodded, a grim shimmer in his eyes.

"But now, we have another favor to ask of you," I continued, my face expressionless. "Tell all the Pokémon to meet at the Alpha's den tonight at sunset." Legion bowed silently, than took to the air quickly, stopping and spreading the Alpha's command. I sighed, made heavy with the news of my new enemy. This Team Origin stood against the very nature of the easy, controllable relationship that the Pokémon of the world had established with the humans. This new technology, these Collars, could collapse everything. If they weren't stopped, if they were allowed to grow in power, a war on the world would be raged, and I knew that in the face of such power, the Wild Pokémon, and those who supported our freedom, would lose.

Sergio licked my cheek supportively, and I purred appreciatively. We both knew what had to be done, but these things were dangerous. Battles, arguments, these were things we handled on a daily basis. A Pokémon war hadn't been waged in years. The pain and loss that follows after such things is so great that for years and decades thereafter, the idea of war is intolerable. But now the time has come for another, and the losses would be no less.

We slowly made our way to our den, listening to the buzz of activity in the forest. In such a place, where the warm sun dappled across my dear Sergio's muzzle and the young Skittys played with lots of laughter, it was so easy to forget what was happening, beyond the forests edge. As I watched, the three pink felines tumbled about, and with a yelp, the largest of the three began to wail in pain. A small Delcatty, who bowed quickly at seeing Sergio and I, began to tend her baby, whispering comforts and licking its ear.

"Come over here," Sergio nudged, pushing me into a bush gently. We lay down together, hidden from the rest of the world, in our small, green enclave of leaves. We sat quietly for a few moments, and I could tell that he was waiting for me to say something, but I had no idea what to say. We were about to march off to war; we were going to throw caution to the wind, and fight for something we might not be alive at the end to see.

"It's okay to be afraid," he muttered softly, rubbing against my neck.

"An Alpha is never scared," I said sternly, pulling away from him and holding my nose proudly. He licked my ear gently, and nuzzled my mane.

"I'm afraid," he admitted, his words warming my neck. I jerked away, glaring at him.

"An Alpha is never afraid," I hiss angrily, my emotions getting the better of me. As the heat of my feelings slowly seeped from my body, the leaves closest to me began to shrivel and dry, my heat slowly killing them, some of them slowly burning. Sergio eyed the leaves about me calmly, watching the edges peel back, glowing red.

"An Alpha is still a Pokémon."

"An Alpha is the leader! They don't feel pain or fear or weakness. They lead their people correctly and unwavering. To be uncertain is to stand still, and to stand still when the jaws of defeat are closing around you is death. I can't be afraid, I don't have the time. I can't worry about who will come back and who will be left on the battlefield. I can't think about who is a parent or a lover or a child. This is war, and there is no safety in conserving the mothers or babes! If we don't fight, with all we have, then we lose, and if we lose, they won't be stopped. And then they will come here, to our home, and take all of us! Even those who have done nothing wrong their whole lives!" I wasn't quite sure when the tears began to fall, but my voice cracked here, as I thought of the three Skitty babies out there, beyond the leaf curtain. The idea of sending their mother, that tiny Delcatty, to the warfront, and throwing her to the hounds, made me retch with disgust. But to not send her, to try and protect her here, in the false security of our forest, could mean enslavement of her whole family. War took away morals, it took away sympathy.

I leaned on Sergio for support, my tears racking my body as I lost control of myself, as I acknowledge I had no control of this situation. "You've served as a wonderful Alpha for several years now, my love," he whispered gently, nuzzling me. "You've protected all of us, you've nurtured us, and you've been a mother to all of this forest's inhabitants. Thinking of sending them to their deaths? I understand how hard it must be. I understand you must feel so scared and alone and small, that this is the final battle that you can't protect them against."

"And you know what?" he asked looking down at me. I shook my head, waiting for an answer. "You're absolutely right. You can't protect them this time. This time, they have to protect themselves as well. I know you feel that you are weak, because you have grown more attached to the lives here than any other before you, but just know that it is those connections, that bond you have with the Pokémon here, that will make them march willingly for you when we order the offensive. They will fight for their children, themselves, and for you. It's now your job to hide your emotions; they need a steadfast ruler to follow, Ember. If you seem unsure, or defeated, they will lose the will to fight. We must be strong." I dried my tears quickly, and calmed my breathing. There would be countless orphans and widows after this battle was over, but it was better than all of us being enslaved.

"Let's go," I said, my cold voice returning. We began to head to our den as the sun was setting, both of us walking in time with proud, slow steps, our noses held high and our gazes cold and emotionless. As we got closer to our home, more and more Pokémon came across us, on their own pilgrimage to our den as well. They bowed low to us, and fell in behind us, allowing us to lead the way silently. As we came into the small clearing about our den, a sudden hush replaced the confused buzz of conversation. Wordlessly, a path was carved for us through the crowd of bodies, and we walked leisurely to the mouth of our hole. The both of us then scaled the side of the entrance, standing now above the entrance to our den, taller than the majority of the crowd. As the sun finally set, casting a cool twilight on my people, I saw that hundreds upon hundreds of Pokémon had gathered tonight, every single resident of the forest present, continuing far back into the tree line and out of my sight, save for the Water types who were amphibious. Their brethren would have to fill them in. Sergio stepped forward with a heavy sigh.

"Brothers, sisters," he began, "we are sorry to have called upon all of you, regardless of your plans or preference. However, a most dire situation has descended upon us, and it now has become not only the responsibility of us, but of all of you." His address, which was intended for the entire audience, rang out in the ears of the Pokémon within hearing range, and within the minds of those who were too far away. After tonight, everything would change for everyone. " A new human development has posed a new threat to us. One that, before, was inconceivable, and is now a reality."

"A new army, a Pokémon army, is massing to the south, and with them is a band of humans that are coming to enslave us." A dull roar of whispers broke out, as the adults whimpered in disbelief, and the children pestered them curiously, asking what was going on. "Silence," Sergio said quietly; the entire forest fell silent at the same moment, words being cut off mid-syllable. "There is no way to fight this new power, and there is nowhere to hide from it. They are coming for us. And it is time that we rose to defend our home. "His eyes scanned the crowd, taking in their desperate, silent pleas. "We must march, together, on this new Team Origin, lest they grow so powerful we cannot stand against them. We must strike the offensive, while we have the element of surprise on our side, and while they are still weak enough to topple." I took a step forward, holding in my sadness and pain, and glazing it over with ice.

"The following orders are absolute and complete. To disobey by trying to find a way out of these orders will result in permanent removal of the forest," I said confidently. I saw the eyes of those in front of me widen in horror; never before had Sergio or I ever made such commands. "Those who are too old and are ill in body, or those that are too young and lack experience, return home now." The very young, the fresh hatchlings, and those who had but a few months to live, left silently; with a inward sigh of relief, I saw the three Skitty kittens I had observed earlier prance away wordlessly, oblivious to what was happening. Their mother watched them wildly, terrified at being torn from them. Only those who truly had no battle experience and those so weak they could barely walk were allowed to stay; the children who were only a few months old, but had sparred with their parents jokingly or wrestled with their siblings with negligent skill, were part of the forest's army. "Those who are parents to the young will join the army. Those six months and older will join the army. Those who are mated and are expecting will join the army." I saw silent tears begin to flow, as young, naïve lovers and young children heard their sentence. Diamond, the Geodude I had talked to the day before, held her twin boys to her comfortingly; her children would also be marching to war. I steeled myself, and continued. "All of you will be examined and tested by Sergio. Those he deems too weak, unskilled, or lame, will stay behind in the forest. Those who are fit: we march in two days on the south. All of you are to stay here this evening. You may not return to your homes. Sergio will conduct his tests through the evening. Once he calls on you, you shall fight him. You _will fight him to the best of your ability._ "

With that, Sergio and I stepped off of the raised section of land, and the Pokémon, released from our command, began to settle for the evening, their tears no longer silent. I gave Sergio a sweet kiss on his nose, before staring into his eyes.

"I must leave now. I have to go find a human we can trust to help us. Train our people; I will be back as soon as I can." With a final lick, Sergio nuzzled against me.

"Be safe, I love you," he whispered. Then erasing his emotion, he whirled around and stalked to the nearest Pokémon to him; a young, Stantler, his antlers barely poking through his fur. "Prepare yourself for battle," Sergio commanded. The Stantler rose shakily, trying not to whimper in fear. There was no way to fake his skills; he had to fight the male Alpha the best he could. He couldn't pretend to be less skilled than he was, and hope to be left behind. My orders had ensured that.

I whirled around and flew away before the first blow was landed. I tore through the uninhabited forest, cold without anyone. I ran as quickly as my nimble legs allowed, racing over tree roots and bushes, intent on finding someone, anyone that could break the Wristbands. After what felt like much too long, I broke through the tree line, and found myself on the path that Trainer's passing through took. I sniffed the dirt impatiently, and began to head east, where the most recent human had headed. I zoomed along the trodden path in the moonlight, my breath loud and heavy, my feet pounding into the soil and tearing pock marks in the route, as I hunted the closest human to the forest.

 **Well, here begins the final battle! If you are confused about anything in the story thus far, better PM me and ask what's going on, because now the story is about to pick up its pace! Ember will find a Trainer that I am quite fond of, one that we never really got to see grow up. Anyone remember Max, May's little brother, from the Hoenn region? Well, him and that telepathic Ralts of his are certainly quite grown up now, and I think it's time they had their own adventure!**


	8. Familiar Faces

Max's feet pounded out a steady, unchanging beat as he followed the route's beaten dirt road, humming softly to himself as he went along. On his shoulder, a small Goomy was perched, and hummed along with him wordlessly. Eight years ago, when Max was seven, he met an amazing trainer named Ash, and was inspired to someday become a world renowned Pokémon master. He wasn't there yet; to be honest, he only had four badges. But it was a good start, considering he had only left home three months ago. When he turned 10, instead of heading out immediately like he had wanted too, he swallowed his own desires and stayed behind at home, helping his father maintain the gym, and studying battle technique and strategy. May, his older sister, had left a while ago, seeking stardom in further regions as a Pokémon coordinator. When the suffocation of a small town and an overbearing mother finally took its toll, Max left in a hurry, wanting to start out immediately. First, he made his way back towards Sootopolis City, and from there, back tracked into the nearby forest. After a few days of searching, he finally had found what he had been long searching for; and old friend he had once rescued and battled together with.

Goomy had been sent as an egg from Brock, a Pokémon breeder who lived far away now. Max was taking his time to raise and train the baby slowly, and the two of them were steadily growing closer. One day, he hoped to battle his sister and Ash, and show them just how far he had grown from the small, young boy he once was. His mind was on that future battle, his eyes on the ground, when a white streak quickly approached him from behind.

Goomy was the first to notice the coming Ninetales. Hopping off of Max's shoulder, it turned to the coming threat. Max looked down at the tiny blob, confused.

"What is it, Goomy?"

"Goo, Goom!"

"Something coming?" Just then, he raised his gaze, and saw a quickly approaching dust cloud. Confused and frightened, he scooped up his young charge, and braced himself for whatever the coming projectile was. As it drew closer, Max's fear turned to awe. The creature stopped before him, and he felt completely enamored with the beauty of the creature. Its tails swirled around it constantly, reminding Max of seaweed beyond and under the surf. Its white fur shined with a warm brilliance, making its bright, crimson eyes stand out all the more. Its tail tips and paws were all a vibrant blue, an unusual color found on Fire types.

"Whoa.. a Ninetales! Never seen one of that color before…" Quickly, Max pulled out his Pokedex, and aimed it carefully at the canine in front of him.

"Ninetales, the Fox Pokemon. Legend has it that Ninetales came into being when nine wizards possessing sacred powers merged into one. This Pokémon is highly intelligent—it can understand human speech," the electronic, female voice said clearly.

"Whoa! It can understand what I am saying?" As if on cue, the Ninetales tilted its head, and its lips pulled back in a toothy smile; it reminded him of all the times May would smile and pat his head, calling him "cute" when he messed something up. "What a powerful and beautiful Pokemon," Max smiled, staring into its red eyes. After a moment, his gaze changed into a glare of determination. "I'm gonna' capture it, and show it off to May when she comes back home." An angry growl ripped from its throat as its tails began to swirl faster in irritation, a malevolent vortex of fur.

"Go, Gallade!" With a stylish throw of the wrist, Max threw out his oldest and dearest friend. He landed gracefully, eyeing his opponent. "Gallade, let's take this one home!" With a nod of its head, the humanoid Pokemon returned its gaze to its adversary.

"Gallade, go, with Slash!" Rushing forward, his arms sharpening to blades, the Gallade attacked the Ninetales. It dodged easily out of the way, and began barking and growling angrily.

"Ni, Ni Ninetales! Ni, Ni!" The Gallade paused on the offensive, interested in what the fox was saying.

"Gallade, what are you doing? Follow up with a Feint!"

 _But the Ninetales says she came to get our help,_ came the Gallade's telepathic voice through Max's brain.

"Quit stalling, go with a Brick Break!" he commanded impatiently. With a irritated growl, the Ninetales shot a tiny Ember attack at his feet. As Max danced about, avoiding burns, the Ninetales chuckled quietly.

 _Stop it! Don't hurt my master!_ The Ninetales barked several times quickly, gazing at Max as he finally stopped hopping about; he glared at the wild Pokémon.

 _She wishes for me to tell you that you deserved it,_ Gallade said, bemused. With an irritated growl, Max turned his gaze to the Shiny.

"Gallade, Stored Power!" Gallade closed his eyes, and after a nanosecond of focusing, shot a brightly colored orb at the wild Pokemon. Calmly, the Ninetales used an explosive Overheat; it shoved through the Stored Power attack, and continued angrily towards the Gallade, catching him full on the chest and sending him flying backwards. As the wall of flames approached Max quickly, the small Goomy in his arms pulled up a Light Screen, protecting the duo from the blaze. As Max blinked his eyes open again, he saw the Ninetales standing dominantly over his Gallade, its fangs bared viciously in a silent warning not to rise.

 _She wishes to know if you will listen now,_ came Gallade's telepathic voice, a hint of fear and admiration ringing in it. Seeing that his strongest Pokemon wasn't going to win the battle, Max angrily crossed his arms.

"What does she want?" Max hissed heatedly. With a relieved sigh, Ember finally removed herself from above her combatant. As he rose wearily, she apologized calmly.

"What is your name?" she said coolly, appraising her translator.

"Gallade," he shrugged. "Max, my master, gave me no other name."

"Haven't you one from prior to your Capture?" Ember inquired.

"Rizio was my old name," he offered slowly.

"Well, Rizio, I am Ember, and I need you and your trainer's help," she said, licking her fur back into perfection. As Rizio translated, he could feel the authority and power wafting off of Ember; clearly, she was the Alpha of her home.

"What sorta' help?" Max asked brusquely, still sore from losing so quickly in battle. As Ember told Rizio her story in full, and the danger her homeland faced, she made no effort to hide her desperation. She was lucky to have found a trainer with a translating Pokémon. She painted the vibrant picture of slavery and destruction, allowing her audience to appreciate the severity of the coming Team Origin. In Max's arms, Yulta, the Goomy, shuddered.

"Without your help," Ember said, "it is very possible that the wild Pokémon of this region and the next could find their Freedom taken." A silence followed, and after a moment, Max sighed.

"I know what you're talking about. We fought this Team Origin a couple days ago. We won easily, but I had no idea that was their name, or that they were doing such heinous things."

"Will you help me protect my people?" Ember asked hopefully. After a moment, Max nodded his head. "Then we have no time to lose. Come quickly, we must return to my forest, where my army awaits my order to march. I hope you are a fast runner."

Max laughed as Rizio translated, then returned the Gallade to its Pokeball. "Don't worry, I think we can keep up." Swapping out the Pokeball's in his hand, he threw a different one into the air; in front of Ember , a Dodrio formed. Max hopped onto the large, three-headed bird's back, settled Goomy in between his legs, and turned to Ember. "Care to race?" he taunted, smiling at the new adventure before him. Without a second thought, Ember tore off ahead of him, leading the way in a Extreme Speed that tore the ground behind her in another cloud of dust. "After her!" Max laughed, and with a spring of its legs, the Dodrio followed closely behind, following the white streak of fur.

 **Alright, so to help keep count, Max has a Goomy named Yulta, a Gallade named Rizio, and a Dodrio (unnamed). I've decided to leave the last three slots open for fan voting and suggestion. Either PM a Pokemon you want Max to have, and a name if you have one, or submit your suggestion in a review. Please note that I may not take your suggestion if I feel that it won't have a significant part in the plot. (For example, don't even try a Goldeen! The final battle will be on land, so a Goldeen wouldn't be a wise choice!) If I can't get enough decent suggestions, I might just leave some spaces on Max's team open. Also, please don't just try and give him a super, mega, awesome, powerful team; he's a trainer of a few months, he's really just a babe in the world of battles. Thanks.** **Also, no, I did not make it up that Ninetales can understand human speech; that was sheer luck! Checkout the Pokedex entries for it!**


	9. March on the South

**Alright, so the official new title for this story is "Origins of Hate," because let's face it, "Pokemon Tales" was a serious tap out. Also, no one had any suggestions about what other members should be on Max's team, so I will just add what I think would be best!**

Max ducked under yet another low hanging branch, and glanced around the dim twilight of the forest's floor and undergrowth. He felt uneasy; the Ninetales had darted out in front of them, and his Dodrio was unable to keep up. The forest rang with an eerie silence, the quiet suffocating.

"Ember, wait up!" he called, hoping she could still hear his shouts. His Dodrio picked its way carefully about the tree's exposed roots, minding his thin, weak ankles. Max grumbled in frustration, his eyes squinting in the leaf induced dusk, trying to see a glimpse of Ember's pearly fur.

Max's Dodrio fell to the forest floor with a surprised squawk, and Max felt the wind get knocked out of him as his back slammed into the tightly packed dirt below. His Dodrio, whose name was Dailyn, rose awkwardly to its feet, and hissed angrily to it's opponent. Max weakly rolled over, and found a small Furret growling angrily at his Pokémon on all fours, it's tail bushy and threatening. Upon seeing Max move, the Furret tried to flank Dailyn, its tiny teeth bared, but Dodrio quickly moved to shield his owner.

"Enough," I barked heatedly, finally back tracking to find her lost charges. The Wild Furret shrank beneath my anger, immediately ceasing her attack. "Return to your sentry post; these are our allies." The Furret scuttled away and into the underbrush again quietly, and I turned her attention to the Dodrio. "Are you alright?"

"Of course we aren't!" Shouted the angry head of the three.

"We were ambushed," whimpered the sorrowful head, bowing in sadness. The third head, that of joy, looked away silently, unable to find happiness in the event.

"Calm down, "I growled; now in her forest, the Dodrio felt immediately uncomfortable; here, my status as Alpha was absolute. However, as they were Captured, my power of command was merely bothersome, and not all powerful. "That Furret was just doing its duty. We are on high alert to all humans who enter the forest." I walked to Max, and nuzzled him to his feet, and once he was on his feet again, I turned and began their pilgrimage again.

Max mounted Dailyn quickly, worried about being separated again. We traveled a long time in silence, and Max felt himself growing impatient. Just as he was about to ask how much farther, he heard a small whisper. That whisper grew into a dull roar, and before he knew it, he was at the center of countless Pokemon; there, a Beedrill was sharpening it's stingers on a rock, and just next to it, a Machamp was cranking out pushups at a reckless pace. A Cranidos crashed into the base of a wide tree, and the pine groaned in protest, trying not to fall over. A Seismitoad further away was punching a boulder rapidly, and the rock was slowly cracking under the pressure. All around him, Pokémon were preparing for battle, sparing and training desperately, trying to find confidence in their own abilities. As Max passed, countless eyes stopped and stared at him, accusing, pleading, terrified. He swallowed his mixture of emotions, and stared hard at the back of Ember's crown of fur.

Ahead, Sergio was frying a Pangoro with a Thunder. The Pangoro finally tore through the attack and rammed into the Manectric with a powerful Body Slam. Sergio quickly rose to his feet, and upon seeing me, ended the battle, telling the Pangoro that he would be joining the attack, and to continue training. After a brief, intimate nuzzle, we separated, our cool demeanor's returning, all business.

"I have sent nearly no one home; many of the Pokémon here in the forest are very strong. However, I did send Currant home…she is too young." I nodded sternly, glad that the baby hadn't passed the tests.

"This is Max," I said, pointing my nose at the human staring at us blankly. "He has a Gallade with him who acts as my translator. He has agreed to help us, and destroy the devices that control the Collars."

"There's a lot of angry looking Pokemon here," Max chuckled nervously, noticing how many hostile eyes were on him. I looked around, and stood next to the young man on the Dodrio.

"This is an ally," I proclaimed sternly. "He will not be harmed, or made to feel unwelcomed." All the eyes turned away, and the Pokémon resumed their training. Slowly, with the tip of one of my blue tails, I pressed the button on Rizio's Pokeball, releasing him. After cordial greetings, war strategy was discussed.

The sun set drearily, dreading the night as much as the forest's inhabitants. "Just before sunrise, we will ambush the camp, starting in a stealth mode. As soon as they realize they are under attack, for they will find out, we will rush out in overwhelming numbers. Hopefully, with surprise on our side, we will be able to overpower the enemy," I sighed, trying to hide my doubt.

"Where shall Master Max be?" Rizio asked with his arms crossed, looking out and about at the combatants buzzing around.

"I want him to hide just behind the tree line. We don't want the other humans to discover he is there to destroy the Wristbands, and focus all the pressure on him. You and his other Pokemon will act as his personal guard." Rizio nodded, and translated for Max.

"What?" Max sputtered, stumbling to his feet in protest. "You just want me to sit back and do nothing?" He shook his head, insulted and desperate to prove himself.

"No, Max," I growled. "We need you stay hidden. You are our greatest asset. You are the only one capable of destroying the devices! If something happens to you, then this will all be futile. Team Origin will just begin to Enslave those that are attacking as their own army depletes, and everything will be pointless. We can't win this without your cooperation." Max sighed heavily, and leaned on Rizio for support.

"I want to be of more help," Max muttered, feeling like the little boy he was several years ago.

"You're helping more than you know," I cooed, nuzzling into his hand. He turned away from me, and I huffed in irritation; there was the aggressive, no holding back way to fight a war, and then there was the smart way, the way that would win. "Get him to get as much sleep as possible, Rizio," I called over my shoulder. "We march in four hours."

A deep silence filled the forest surrounding our den as everyone realized the final hour was upon us. Many were curled up in groups, finding comfort in each other, their eyes squeezed desperately tight, praying that this was all a nightmare.

I found Sergio walking amongst our people, trying to see if there was anything he could do to help comfort them. "Come," I said gently. "We need our rest too." We padded slowly to our cave, and crawled in quietly. We curled around each other, inhaling the other's scent wordlessly, desperate to hold onto this final moment of happiness. I tried to commit his scent to memory; I rubbed my muzzle along his underbelly, telling myself to remember how soft he was. I savored his erratic kisses, loving the taste, but hating the way it felt like a goodbye. A single tear rolled down from my red eyes; the magic in my Pokémon tear twinkled uselessly as it splated on the dirt floor beneath us; not even magic could stop the coming losses.

"Nothing is going to happen to us," Sergio muttered, licking at my wet cheek. "We've just found each other; I'm sure Arceus has a plan for us." He gave me a strong, confident, lopsided grin, his tongue lolling out of one side of his mouth. "I won't ever let anything hurt you." We cuddled together tighter, and I felt time slipping through my paws cruelly. When I felt it was nearly midnight, I rose sorely, and with a final sigh, padded outside. All the Pokémon in the forest were either asleep or muttering together nervously. I walked slowly around the mouth of the den, and stood on the small knoll of land that was above the entrance. The last time I had made a forest addressing howl here, it had been to celebrate the union between my love and I. Now it was to sentence countless to their deaths.

My howl rang out, echoing spookily, the siren that began our panic. I saw many flinch beneath my summons, trying desperately to resist, and finding it absolutely pointless. Desperate wails and tears began to flow freely, and the younger members of our army clung desperately to their parents or older friends, their deepest fears surfacing. All rose to their feet, faces either stained with tears or set with a determined scowl to defend their homes. Sergio stepped up beside me, the distance between our bodies making me ache.

"Move out," he shouted; everyone turned and began a silent and quick march to the south. Max, mounted on Dailyn, waited for us; I didn't want him to be exposed. Sergio and I began a quick run, and the Dodrio followed behind us clumsily, as we raced our way to the front lines. When we finally found ourselves leading the war effort, we slowed to a brisk trot, and Max's Dodrio kept pace with us. We marched in silence and anticipation, tense with the sound of our countless paws, hooves, feet, and wings charging onward. As I felt dusk approaching, my heart began to beat much quicker; this was it. We couldn't turn back now. With a silent rising of all my tails, my forces came to a halt behind me. Together, Sergio, Max and I crawled on our bellies through the bushes, and when we finally broke through the leaf line, and saw the countless humps of hundreds of Enslaved Pokémon and humans sleeping, clueless. After assessing the layout of our enemy, we crawled back quietly. We moved our army slightly to the right; here, the human cell was slightly closer to the edge of the Pokémon barricade. We wanted to get those Wristbands as quickly as possible, with minimal casualties. After a few steadying breaths and a few brief, savage embraces, Sergio and I turned to stare out on the plain that would turn into a battlefield.

"Begin," I commanded.


	10. Innocent Blood Spilt

**Vacation over, time to do some seriously heated writing. Let the war commence.**

With a group wide inhale, the Water types all began to conjure a storm with a Rain Dance. Within moments, the sleeping forms of Team Origins camp stirred in surprise, staring at the cloud and the freak weather. A few of the Masters, who had chosen the evening stars as their roof, swore, and dashed into their team mates tents. After a brief rearrangement of fur and feathers, the Enslaved masses returned to their rest, unable to move and find their own shelter without their careless Master's command. Me and my army waited quietly, allowing the enemy to fall back asleep. When I was certain that the majority was unconscious, I turned behind me.

"Storm, Floodgate, Mar," I called quietly. From the shadows, the Vaporeon siblings slinked forward, appraising the growing moistness of the battlefield. "Will this amount of water suffice?" Mar, the youngest of the three, stared for a few more moments, before smirking confidently at me.

"This will be too easy," she purred. Nodding at her younger brothers, the three dashed out from the cover of the trees and into the rainfall. At the first puddle they encountered, the three of them dove in; the water accepted them without ripple as their bodies' cells melting in to match the liquid. Slowly, the three of them weaved into the camp, sneaking between the growing water ponds. As they dashed from cover to cover, taking shelter in the rain, not even my eyes could separate their bodies from the puddles' water as they submerged themselves. They worked their way slowly into the camp, their molecules splitting and mixing with even the smallest puddle whenever a sentry's eyes tried to search through the rain. Finally, after what felt like ages, they reached the inner, human cell. They peered into each of the tents silently, and finally, Floodgate, the dominant of the group, slipped into the smallest tent. I waited with bated breath, my heart pounding in my ears. Finally, he sprung forward, and quicker than they had entered the enemy's camp, they fled it, diving into puddles and ponds quietly. They reentered the tree line, panting, and Floodgate's jaws opened, dropping a single Wristband at his feet.

"There are nine humans in the camp in total. Each one has a device," Floodgate said mournfully, as Mar playfully shook the water from her slick body. Max bent down and appraised the device, and as his hand came in contact with it, the wide screen began to glow.

"The water, did it damage it?" Storm asked worriedly, his fins twitching with apprehension. After a round of translation, Max shook his head.

"This thing can only be destroyed by a human," Max mumbled inattentively, his focus completely on the Wristband. He began pressing the touch screen and turning the various tiny knobs, causing the device to beep quietly.

"How much time do you reckon we have before they notice something's wrong?" Mar yawned with a flirtatious twirl of her tail. Just then, shouting from Team Origins human cell grew loud enough to reach my ears.

"Where did you last leave it, you thick idiot?" Came a male voice.

"I told you, I never take the damn thing off! It should be here, I don't know where it…" I shook my head with a nervous tingle in my stomach; Max didn't have enough time.

"Not much." Sergio grunted, stepping towards the tree line boldly. As the Water types slid back further into the forest, the Electric types took their place, all bristling with tension, waiting for the command. "Max," Sergio called back. "Focus all your energy on the Wristbands. We will send them to you as we get them for you to destroy." Max nodded with a harsh gulp, his heart beginning to race faster with fear. Max pressed the buttons on all his Pokeballs, before his slim fingers returned deftly to the device in his hands. Glowing, Rizio, Dailyn, and Yulta were released, along with his Hitmonchan named Ebiwan.

"Keep close to your Trainer," Ember told Max's entourage. "Should the Master's discover where we are taking their Wristbands, they will most likely send everything they have this way."

"I won't let anyone touch him!" Yulta nodded, her small, young face determined. I nodded to her, then turned to look at Max, who was staring intently at me. We stared at each other, in a silent goodbye, afraid of where the sunrise would find us.

"Good luck," he whimpered, his youth showing through his attempt at staying calm. I stepped closer to him, and stroked his cheek maternally; never would I have chosen to bring children to battle, had it been under any other circumstances.

"Good luck," I said quietly. Rizio translated as I turned and looked at my mate; we shared but a moment of an intimate stare, our emotions and fears being to expansive for words to truly communicate. Then, his duty took over, and he turned coldly from me back to the plains, where the human's shouts were growing frantically loud.

"Now!" Sergio shouted. At once, the plains were filled with the heated crackle of electricity and the bright light of the communities Thunder attack. Screams of pain filled the air, drowning out the sizzling that filled Max's ears; he shook his head, trying to clear out the agony, but found that no amount of wishing would end this battle any sooner. The Electric types held the attack for as long as possible, but as some of the weaker Pokémon's attacks began to fall out, as they could not sustain it, Sergio called off the attack.

Many of the Flying and Water types that belonged to the Master's had already fainted; but as I watched, those who had fainted, their minds telling them to end the battle, rose to their feet at their Master's commands. Many bruised and burned, they rose recklessly, and I cringed; we would have to beat down those who were past the point of fainting; this night would end in blood, and for once in a long time in Pokémon battle history, death.

As the humans began to regain their senses, I rushed past Sergio rapidly, leading the charge into the plains, not wanting to waste our advantage of surprise. The sound of hundreds of hooves, paws, feet, and claws following me was the tuneless beat of my war drum.

I crashed head first into a stunned Sneasel in a Quick Attack, and but a second later, I felt the concussion of my army slamming into the flesh of the enemy around me. I pinned him to the ground, bathing him in a searing Flamethrower as he screamed in pain beneath me. Just then, a Force Palm in my chest threw me backwards onto my back. As I rose quickly, I saw the Sneasel clamor to its feet weakly as a Breloom stood beside it. I growled menacingly, but found myself suddenly distraught with sadness; in their eyes, there was no anger, or hate, or thrill of battle. Only desperation and tears of frustration and confusion as their Master's finally commanded them to destroy their liberators.

The Breloom hurled an Energy Ball at me as the Sneasel charged forward with a Payback. A Sludge Bomb collided with his face, sending him again to the ground, as a Vileplume rushed to my aim. With the Sneasel's aggression turned to my ally, I focused on the Breloom; I stood my ground and tanked the Energy Ball, knowing I had a type advantage, and then slammed into him with a Flame Charge that sent him sprawling. Just in time, I ducked under a Thunder Punch from an Electabuzz, and knocked him back with a Feint Attack. My paws were swept out from behind me by a Vine Whip, and I rounded and punished the Tangrowth with a Fire Fang, causing it to recoil in pain.

Everything was wrong; this wasn't a Pokémon battle. This wasn't a clear, spacious battle for fun or dominance; this was a claustrophobic slaughter for survival. Every moment I turned, someone was attacking my flank, and I was switching opponents every other move. As the assaults came from behind, from above, I could barely recognize what Pokémon it was I was attacking; I didn't have time to even appraise my friend, turned foe.

A small Frost Breath hit my side, and with a vengeful howl, I shot a powerful Inferno, swamping my enemy in live flames. Once my attack's fire was finished licking at my assailant's skin, I found my fiery blood turn cold. Laying, burnt nearly black, laid my attacker; a Smoochum, not even a foot tall, was sprawled, crippled on the soaked grass. The world around me slowed, the roar of war dulled, and I stumbled over to my victim.

She rolled over, and her young eyes were flowing freely with tears. As she saw me, she cried and mewled as she rose to her feet unsteadily, and I nearly vomited with disgust as her left foot rotated a complete 360 degrees around brokenly beneath her, as her Master commanded her to continue to fight. Another Frost Breath slammed into my face, but I continued to come towards her, numb to my pain. All I wanted to do was comfort this baby; she couldn't have been over a year in age, maybe she had been born into Enslavement. She jumped up, and an extraordinarily weak Pound slapped my face. As she landed back on the ground, her contorted and shattered foot gave way, and she fell once again. Finally close enough to her, I wrapped her gently in my tails, hiccupping as my sobs took over. I couldn't breathe.

She Licked my face over and Over again as she cried helplessly, wanting to stop fighting but being force against her will. I took the damage willingly, my tears coming harder and harder as I rocked her. Blood poured from her destroyed ankle, and ever so slowly, her attacks began to become less frequent. Her eyes glazed over as the life began to seep from the infant's body.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, kissing her forehead as her Ice Punch smacked my jaw. As I pulled back, and looked at her one last time, I saw her absolute desperation and frustration; her Master was making sure that her heart stopped beating before her attacks. Quietly, hoping to give her at least a brief respite from the pain of our world, I sent a Hypnosis out, and she fell asleep immediately in my grasp. After only a few seconds, she stopped breathing. And a few moments after that, my sensitive tails felt her pulse stop.

I let her down gently, and began to stroke her beautiful, young face, disgusted with myself for taking her young life, and Team Origin for forcing her to the suicide of war. A ferocious Hydro Pump drove me away from my charge, and I felt instantly weakened. I rose to my feet shakily, and began wobbling over to the babe's body again, blind to all but her corpse. A second Hydro Pump knocked me back several yards. Too weak to rise, I laid there, too weak to even lift my muzzle from the mud as the rain poured onto me from above. I rested there, welcoming death now, defeated in spirit and body. A sudden Thunderbolt slammed into the Golduck who was attacking me, throwing him several yard into the air before it crashed a few meters away. Sergio rushed into my fading vision, and his words, dulled by my growing unconsciousness, were barely registered. Suddenly, I found my eyes snapping awake and I glanced around in confusion. Beside my mate, a small Gothita's Healing Pulse was reviving me. Once she had done her work, she jumped back into the fray with a Façade.

"Get up," Sergio commanded coldly. I rose quickly, my gaze staying on the mangled body of my kill. Sergio glanced at it, and then looked back at me, his eyes softening only in the slightest. "We haven't time for mourning." I nodded, and together, we launched back into battle. I fought passionlessly at first, numb to my purpose, but as I fought beside him, my rage grew. These monsters, these humans, were more like demons. I _would_ make them pay. I reared about in fury, lashing out with a newfound fire to fight, pouring my hate and fury and sorrow into my attacks. Around me, Pokémon fell quickly as we made our way to the human's camp, where very few of our soldiers had fought their way into yet. Together, we unstoppably entered the dilapidated circle where the humans cowered.

Several of our Flying types made dive bomb attempts to rip off the Wristbands, but the humans either swatted them away themselves, our used their Slaves to beat them back. Suddenly, a decent portion of the Enslaved Pokémon battling on the field stopped attacking. Once they realized they weren't under Team Origin's control, they dashed to the tree line, fleeing their captors.

"What the hell? What's going on?" A small Team Origin member shrieked, watching a portion of her army escape.

"My Wristband! It must've been destroyed!" wailed the man, shaking in terror.

"Their after our Wristbands!" Called another, suddenly, tucking his arm in, and shielding his device. The others followed suit, and Sergio and I charged the nearest man. A burly Bouffalant suddenly blocked our way. Sergio sent out a Thunder Wave, immobilizing it, as I darted around it. With a savage snarl, I knocked the man to the ground, my muzzle dripping threateningly with my foaming saliva as my growl ripped louder from my mouth. With a surprised cry, he punched my face. Ignoring his attempt to defend himself, I sank my teeth deep into the flesh of his wrist. His screams of pain didn't sate my need for revenge as I twisted and yanked, my fangs tearing his Wristband from him, along with the majority of the flesh around it. As I leapt backwards off of him and he scrambled away, nursing his destroyed wrist, I barked an order at Ledian above. With a toss of my muzzle, I threw the technology into the air, and my soldier caught it deftly, before zooming to the forest. Satisfied that another Wristband was about to be destroyed, I turned my bloody muzzle to the other humans who were eyeing me in horror. My chest heaved angrily, my red eyes glowed in the pouring rain, and my thirst for their blood and pain was far from satisfied.

"Dear Arceus, the hell is that? A hell hound from down under?" The man whose Wristband was already destroyed enlarged a Pokeball in his palm, and out of it came a large Mandibuzz. I grinned savagely as I sensed Sergio standing beside me, the Bouffalant now fighting one of our other soldiers as more worked their way to the center of the battle. I never wanted this war. I never chose to be the aggressor, only the defender. But tonight, I was defending everything of importance; the lives of my forest's inhabitants, their freedom, their lives, their happiness. The scum before me was happy to steal that from us…from babies. Oh, no, this night, and their punishment, had just begun.


	11. Most Valuable Asset

Max whooped in joy as the first Wristband's screen slowly dimmed as it shut off. He peered out between the leaves, and saw that several Pokémon had stopped battling, and that their eyes were filled with confusion. A Rapidash nearby neighed in sudden victory, and as she dashed away from his captors, all of the Slaves who had also belonged to the destroyed Wristband fled to the forest, suddenly liberated. Max's smile quickly turned into a stare of horror as he realized that majority of the stampede was headed for him. He cried out, and threw his arms around his head to shield himself from the impact, but as water flows around a rock in the river, the Pokemon avoided him, afraid that he was another Master about to Enslave them again.

When the sound of fleeing wings and feet dulled out behind him, and Max slowly opened his eyes, he found the Rapidash from before appraising him sinisterly. Max gulped in fear as it took a malicious step forward, its hoof pawing the ground. Max crawled backwards quickly, and found that his back bumped into something sturdy; as he glanced up, he saw his Gallade standing protectively over him. A brief, tense moment followed; Rizio's arms sharpened into threatening blades, and the Rapidash's fiery mane became to grow in size as it pulled back it's lips and showed it large, square teeth.

Finally, the Rapidash walked slowly to Max's side, her head tilted curiously to the side as she appraised him. _She thought you were another Team Origin member,_ Rizio explained, his posture relaxing greatly. _I explained that you were the one who freed them…she says she will help stand guard until this is over._ Slowly, so as not to scare the human again, Seara lowered her long nose to the boy's chest, and pressed gently against him, begging to be petted. Max obliged quickly, afraid to anger her again, and the Rapidash nickered in pleasure at his kind, painless hand.

Max then quickly rose, thanked her for volunteering to stay behind, and turned his attention to the battlefield. His eyes scoured the battlefield, his ears ringing with the din of falling combatants, until he found the tell tale sign of her pearly white fur through the crowd. Ember had just broken through into the human's base, and just as soon as he had seen her, a huge Tyranitar reared up high, blocking the view of the Alpha from him.

A sudden shadow soared into the sky, high above the area where he had seen Ember moments before. As the dot made a beeline for Max, Yulta grew nervous, and began to prepare a Dragon Breath, when Max commanded her to stop. The Ledian zipping towards him somersaulted in the air, threw another Wristband at his feet, and dove back into battle, Tackling a nearby Wartortle.

Max caught it clumsily, and ran back to the protection of the denser shadows, away from the tree line. Seara pawed the ground nervously as she saw the screen begin to glow at Max's touch. He twist knobs and tapped the screen quickly, trying to disable it faster than the first one. Finally, the glowing screen showed a red box, and Max pressed his thumb deftly to it, and waited. Minutes ticked by. This wasn't something to be rushed. After a few more seconds, the Wristband beeped, and the screen said "Fingerprint Acknowledge: Self Destruct". The screen darkened again, and Max dropped it to the ground as the sparks flew from the tiny device as the internal hard drive short circuited itself. He gazed out across the plains, and more Enslaved Pokemon were now Free, and fleeing the battle.

Max breathed deeply, feeling slightly at better ease, knowing that he was making progress. The stars in the sky were suddenly blotted out, and the world around the battlefield grew dark as the sounds of countless wings beat the air earnestly. Max looked up, and a legion of every Flying type known to man was soaring towards him; he had been discovered.

 _Run!_ Rizio shouted, grabbing Max around the waist, and throwing him onto Dailyn's back. Yulta hopped into his lap just in time, and instantly, Max was whisked away, his Dodrio's claws tearing at the dirt beneath them.

Ember looked to the sky, and saw that much of their opponents were leaving the onslaught to search the woods for Max. "We must protect the boy!" Ember shouted, her order ringing loudly in the ears of her army. "Half of you go and protect him, the other half, stay here to take the Wristbands!" The lake of thrashing bodies split and warped, until half of the Free Pokemon were chasing done the Enslaved, knocking them from the air with Ice Beams and Electro Balls. Satisfied that she had done all she could to protect him, Ember turned back to the battle at hand.

Max clung desperately to the middle neck of his Pokemon, his eyes darting about in the twilight of the forest's canopy. All around, he could hear the wings of his pursuers, but as they darted amongst the branches and leaves, he could pin down their exact location. A Masquerain from above String Shotted Dailyn's legs, and he crashed to the ground with a cry of surprise. Max landed on his back, clutching his Goomy to his chest protectively. As Max looked up, talons and beaks reached for him, trying to hurt or capture him, but he was always saved just in the nick of time. His Pokémon surrounded him , driving off the attackers desperately.

"We can't keep this up!" Ebiwan hollered, another Ice Punch landing harshly on a Starly's face.

"Get him out of here!" Screeched Dailyn from the ground, where he still laid tangled, his long neck allowing him to Peck away anyone who came too close. Finally, the cavalry arrived, and Ember's Pokemon caught up to the frenzy, charging in with battle cries.

"We need cover over here!" Seara called loudly. In response, a huge Skuntank ally dashed over and spewed forth a deep Smokescreen, blinding all in the area. Screams of panic and fear rose from both sides of the army, and Ebiwan and Rizio threw Max onto the Rapidash's back.

"Keep him safe," Dailyn's sad head called from the ground, while the other two began tearing at the webbing around its thin legs.

Seara nodded, and with a flick of her flame tail, charged away so fast that Max lost his breath. Her fiery mane lit the way a short distance in front of her as she galloped, deftly dodging in time any obstacle that appeared before her. When they finally cleared the smoke, she kept running, unsure of where to go.

"We can't go too far!" Max shouted in her ear over the pounding of her hooves. "I have more Wristbands to destroy!" Seara searched left and right, and found a small den. Kneeling, she let the boy off of her back, and using her sharp horn, forced him into the hole. "You're joking," Max snorted as Seara began piling leaves atop him. He swatted them away and began to climb out of the ground. Seara trumpeted angrily, and jabbed him in the chest with her horn painfully. Sighing with irritation, he curled up in the moist soil, trying to be comfortable. When Seara finally felt her foliage cover would hide him from prying eyes, she backed away slowly, her eyes never leaving Max's. He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to accept his fate. "Fine, I'll stay here till you come back." Snorting in approval, Seara turned, and galloped back to the battlefield.

The growing noise of war was suddenly amplified as she broke through the brush. In front of her, the battlefield was beginning to be soaked with blood, as well as rain. "You, Vaporeon!" Seara called. Mar turned and appraised her herald. "Bring me to your Alpha, I have important news!"

"Follow me," Mar smirked. Dipping, swirling, and squeezing through the battlefield the Water type moved through combatants as water through a crack in a boulder. Wherever she went, she Attracted her foes, causing them to pause momentarily in her beauty, and allowing Ember's soldiers to find an opening in the enemy's defense.

Seara suddenly trampled into the center of Team Origin's base, and found it more chaotic than the battle surrounding it. They weaved through the battle, but progress was slow, as they constantly had to stop to defend themselves.

"Alpha, this Rapidash claims to have news for you!" Mar called, her high voice, floating above the cries of pain. I glanced at the horse.

"I've never met her." At my words, Mar turned threateningly towards the stranger, instantly suspecting a trap to hurt her Alpha.

"I am a friend of Max's." She began to stomp the ground menacingly. I glanced at her again, thought for a moment, then told Mar to stand down and return to the fight. As she flitted away, I turned my full attention to the horse, the battle raging around us.

"What has happened?" I asked sternly, concerned for our only hope. A Serperior began to Wrap around me, but a quick Overheat sent it away rapidly.

"The Enslaved found him, and I had to move him. He is safe and hidden, but without protection. Should he be found again, there won't be anyone to defend them."

I nodded, and thought carefully. "The less Pokémon that know where he is, the better." I summoned Legion, and he fluttered next to me, his wings lowered in a submissive bow. "You and Seara here are to be Max's guardians for the remainder of the struggle. You two will be responsible for delivering the Wristbands to him as they come into our possession; be ready at any moment." My watched as my dominance began to work into the muscles of the Rapidash, newly Freed. She and Legion bowed. As I ordered them back to battle, Legion took off immediately, while Seara seemed to try to wrestle with my superiority. I growled at her threateningly, and with a frustrated glare, she submitted to me, and reared into the fray.

I turned to Sergio, who was battling three Pokémon alone. I jumped beside him, a Confuse Ray sending the group into disarray as we picked them off, one by one. I turned to a rather small female Master, whose Captured and Enslaved Pokémon were guarding decisively. My mate and I began to drill into the shield of bodies, working our way through with pain staking slowness. A Banette on our side Shadow Sneaked through the ranks and began to tear through the protective layer from the inside. The girl shrieked in panic and from her pocket, drew a small, marble sized, coiled Collar from her pocket and raised it high, aiming to Enslave me. From the sky, Legion dove, and Pecking at her wrist, began to tear the device from her raised arm. As she shouted with pain, I swept her feet from beneath her with my tails. She fell roughly onto her back, and Sergio and I held her down with our paws and fangs as Legion finally ripped the Wristband from her. He soared high quickly, and began heading to the forest with his bloody trophy.

Sergio and I jumped off of her, and began beating back her loyal Pokémon that had finally risen to their feet again. We battled for what felt like an eternity when suddenly our adversaries about faced and fled as Max destroyed the Wristband they were under the control of. Only her Captured Bayleef and Beautifly remained. As I began to spit a Incinerate, the two Pokémon were bathed in a red light and returned to their Poke balls. The human turned and fled with a wild and desperate scream. With a hungry growl, I began to tear after her.

"Ember!" Sergio shouted after me. I skidded to a halt and glared back at him. "She doesn't matter, leave her! We still have six Wristbands to get!" With an irritated sigh that spewed a tiny flame, I turned around and dove back into the mash of convulsing bodies, my maw dripping with live flames.


	12. Shattered (conclusion)

**Alrighty, here is the final chapter to my longest story! Thanks for reading guys!**

The battle seemed endless, and my muscles were screaming for remorse. Only two Wristbands remained, and on the horizon, the sky's warming rays were turning the treetops a dim pink. Around me, mutilated bodies were compacted into the ground, bleeding slowly as those who still lived swarmed around them, praying not to join them.

We now greatly outnumbered the Enslaved Pokémon, and I was giddy at the idea of finishing the night. In the swirl of flames, water, and leaves lashing out at various creatures, I was having a hard time locating the last two Masters. I dove and skirted through the exhausted battle, my eyes blurring every now and then as my own body began to give way to the need of respite. I shook my head rapidly, hoping to shake off the fatigue as I darted about, my eyes peering through the mob.

To my left, I saw a Poliwhirl charge me with a Waterfall. I barely dodged the attack, and sent a Confuse Ray after him as he went zooming past me. As he stumbled about, dazed and inconsolable, I turned to the direction he came from. A tall, lean woman stood there confidently, her arms crossed over her thin bosom, a dark smirk on her lips. I growled at her evilly, and began to approach her. She quickly tossed her Wristband at my feet, and I stopped and stared at it in confusion.

"You've got guts, darling, I'll give you that," She chimed, pulling her short, black skirt a little lower and flipping her silver hair. Her purple eyes bore into mine, and my growl returned as I felt her threatening glower drill into me. "Here, take it, I can tell when we've lost the battle." She looked around her, at the battle, the blood spraying in the air, and a content smile danced across her lips. One of my Beartic's shot a vicious Icy Wind at her, and she hopped out of the way, her smile replaced with an angry glare. I barked at him to fall back, and with a confused glance at me, he backed away slowly before turning to fight any of the Pokémon who tried to sneak up on me. She looked at me critically again, and her playful grin returned.

"Ah, so you must be the one in charge of this little ambush," she giggled confidently. Her ease made me uncomfortable, and I quickly threw her Wristband into the air, where Legion caught it and sped off to deliver it to Max. She watched him soar away, and laughed loudly as she combed her fingers through her long, shimmering hair. "You've done a good job this evening, I'll give you that, but you have no idea how deep the grave you just dug yourself is." My hackles raised, and my growl returned.

"Easy there," she said, raising her eyebrow, as she tossed a Pokeball in the air. With a pop, a huge Milotic came sprawling out, curling around the Master protectively. "You don't really look like you're up for a serious fight." I let my lips fall over my fangs and my growl die in my throat, but my paws were still spread wide apart, and my tails were whipping behind me angrily. The girl smiled, and turned again to survey the battlefield. "Did you really think you could make a difference?" She grinned, turning back to me. "Did you really think some rag tag militia from the forest could stop Team Origin?" I snorted in disbelief, tossing my head to the war around us; it was clear who was winning. She glanced around, before laughing and looking at me again. "So you're little ambush worked, and you were able to defeat this encampment. Congratulations, you deserve a Pokeblock for all your hard work." She laughed again, and my confusion and frustration was growing. She had lost this battle, so why was she still so confident? "Let me tell you a little secret, darling," she drawled, glancing at her elegant hand. "I gave you my Wristband because I didn't want you tearing it off and possibly damaging my flawless skin, but don't think that I gave you a victory." She turned and looked at me, still smiling condescendingly. "What you found here was a training regiment; get it? These eight students I brought up her to teach were the weakest Team Origin has to offer." Fearfully, I glance around; countless dead bodies filled the arena, the blood watering the grass beneath my paws. "Yes, that's right darling, this was only the beginning. You should've stayed in your little swamp, or wherever you came from, and enjoyed the peace while you had it, because Team Origin's best will be coming to take vengeance on you now." Far away, I saw Seara dash into the forest, the final Wristband glinting from where it was hanging from around her horn. "Was it worth it to you? Regardless of whether this night had happened, we would have marched up here and Enslaved all of you anyway." Around us, all the battling stopped as the last two Wristbands were destroyed, somewhere in the forest by a hidden boy.

Seeing herself completely outnumbered now, the Master threw a separate Pokeball into the air, and a Noivern came out. She leapt onto its back, returned her Milotic, and returned her gaze to me. "Enjoy your Freedom while you have it, darling, because you won't have it for long, and once I return with the rest of Team Origin, I will see to it that you become my personal foot stool." With a screech, the Noivern lifted into the air, and with incredible speed, began flying south, further and further away, until they were but a speck in the distance.

In most wars, you would expect a cheer of victory, a throwing of all battle helmets, a three cheers for the commander who led them to victory. This, however, wasn't a human war, but one amongst Pokémon. Everyone stared at the disappearing enemy, and then slowly began to care for the wounded silently. I limped slowly around the battlefield, checking on the bandaged, closing the eyes of the dead, nuzzling those who cried over the bodies of their mates, parents, siblings, and friends. In my chest, overpowering the sadness I felt for the fallen, I felt pride. We had done it! We had conquered the conquerors! Nothing could stop us now! We'd march to the south, across mountain and swamp, across desert and tundra, to defeat the rest of this Team Origin. We would wipe them from the earth, and…

His familiar form was lying crushed on the ground, covered with a mixture of mud and blood. I stared at him from afar, blinking hard, willing the illusion to go away. It didn't; he laid there as rigid as the dead. I stumbled beside him, and found his dull, red eyes staring up at me, his muzzle open and his tongue hanging out, dipping in a pool of his own blood.

Inside, something popped out of place; I could feel the instant pride I had felt get swallowed whole by my grief. I howled a loud, earth shaking howl, throwing my head back to the rising sun, and all around me froze and took a moment to share my grief before turning their attention to their own misfortunes. I began to shed my first tears as I buried my face into Sergio's cold fur, screaming for him to come back. As he stayed unresponsive, I began clawing and kicking his strangled body, mindlessly hoping that I could cause him enough pain to shock him alive. I screamed and prayed to Arceus to bring him back to me, and prayed that the magic of my own Pokémon tears would bring him back to life, but his body grew colder and colder, and I began drowning in my sorrow.

Whatever had popped out of place in my chest had been a vital support structure, because now everything inside was falling apart. I couldn't think straight, and the world swirled before me. I tried to get one last scent of him, to get one last memory of our time together, and found his sweet, comforting scent defiled with the scent of his life blood. I screeched in fury, and flames shot out from me randomly as my emotions took over. In a large circle around me, the sodden grass quickly turned black as I burned it, hating the foliage for living while my sweet love no longer was. I pawed the ground, howled, spun wildly, until I was so exhausted I couldn't keep my feet anymore. I crawled beside him and curled up in the curve of his body, like we had slept only so few of times together. Whenever someone came to comfort me, or take his body, I would growl demonically, warning them not to come any closer, lest they suffer a fate worse than his.

Our time had been so brief together; our love, so fresh and young. The idea of someone even interrupting our alone time in death drove me wild with anger. I sobbed against his fur, my tears mixing with his blood beneath us. I reviewed all our time together, such few precious moments, in my mind, desperate to cling to his living form. Even after my tears had dried and my sobs had passed, I cuddled with his corpse, afraid to let go. Hours passed, and I felt my pain slowly change into hollowness. I rose to my feet slowly, licked his frozen muzzle one last time, and left him and myself behind.

I saw Mar and Storm mourning over the body of their dead brother. I saw Currant finally feel the touch of her stolen mother again. I saw Diamond help her newly disabled husband find a dry place to rest. I saw all of these things, and felt nothing for my people. Many came and thanked me for their freedom, for returning their loved ones to them, and I walked by without as much as a glance. I no longer cared for anything but the future I had lost.

Max came sprawling out into the early morning sunlight, and when he saw me, he hollered and ran towards me. I stared at him emptily as he and Rizio came to a halt in front of me.

"We did it!" he breathed heavily, recovering from the night's excitement.

"Sergio's dead," I said flatly, my face expressionless as Rizio translated. Max's face fell, and he offered me sincere condolences that fell on deaf ears. I began relaying what the final Master had told me before running away, and once my message was delivered, I turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Rizio called after me.

"I don't know," I said.

"What are you planning to do now about Team Origin?" Max questioned.

"I don't know," I said. They stared after me as I walked alone into the comforting darkness of the forest. After a few moments, I could hear their feet pounding after me.

"What about your duty to the forest?" Rizio demanded.

"I don't know," I said. They weren't my problem, I didn't care about their well being and happiness anymore. Silence followed as the two males kept easy pace with me.

"Someone has to go stop Team Origin," Max finally said, glancing at me from the corner of his glasses.

"Okay," I said.

"Come with me," Max said, kneeling in front of me and stroking my bloodied mane. He pulled out a Pokeball, and I almost expected myself to recoil in disgust; to struggle and fight and for my spirit of the Wild Pokémon to demand Freedom, but I just felt empty. "I could use your help," Max said, holding it in front of me.

"Okay," I said. He blinked in surprise, amazed that I didn't need further convincing, before gently tapping the button on my nose. I was immediately absorbed into the Pokeball, and this time, I didn't even try to look around for the exit. I curled up, finally, alone, and comforted my damaged soul, now empty of anything except pain.

 **Thanks for reading guys!** **Hope you enjoyed the story.**


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